Distributed fiber optic microseismic monitoring system for coal mines

Microseismic monitoring is essential for rock burst predication in coal mines. However, the existing monitoring instruments based on electric geophone have inherent limitations and hardly progress further. This paper presents the design and implementation of a novel microseismic monitoring system using fiber optic sensing and distributed data acquisition techniques. The technical details including seismic sensor, interrogation system, and seismic substation are introduced. The results show that the system achieves a bandwidth of 0.5-400 Hz and a dynamic range of 80 dB. The location accuracy reaches 10 m by reasonable configuration of sensors, and so it is particularly suitable for precision mine microseismic monitoring.